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House Hayford
House Hayford of Hayford is a noble house in the Crownlands, seated at Hayford, less that a day's ride from Queen's Landing. Due to their situation in the Crownlands, House Hayford is sworn directly to the Iron Throne. Their sigil is green fretty over gold, a green pale wavy. Their words are, "to those we hold", a sign of their unwavering loyalty to the Targaryens, and to the smallfolk under their lordship. The current head of House Hayford is Harrold Hayford. History Not much is known or said of House Hayford in the history books. House Hayford's strong loyalty to the Targaryens first emerged during the Blackfyre Rebellion, when the unknown Lord Hayford fought for the loyalists. Lord Hayford was even named Hand of the King to Daeron II after the dismissal of Ambrose Butterwell. However, Lord Hayford did not serve in the post for long, as he was killed by Lord Gormon Peake during the Battle of the Redgrass Field. The histories next mention House Hayford some fifteen years later, during the Second Blackfyre Rebellion, when the Hayfords once more sided with the Targaryens. When Brynden Rivers marched on Whitewalls to stop the rebellion before it could even begin, it was said that House Hayford was one of the houses that accompanied Bloodraven. During the War of the Usurper, House Hayford rallied to the Targaryens once more, and marched alongside Prince Rhaegar to the Trident, where they would ultimately be defeated at the hands of Robert Baratheon. Like most of the loyalist houses, House Hayford was allowed to bend the knee, but never once did they forget who were the rightful rulers of the Seven Kingdoms. Their loyalty paid off at the end of the third century, after Aegon's Landing, when Daenerys Targaryen landed in Westeros and took the Iron Throne that was rightfully hers. House Hayford and many of the Crownlander houses were some of the first to join the queen's cause, and no doubt aided in her swift victory. For the next six decades, House Hayford remained ever loyal to the Targaryens, even in times of peace when such loyalties needed no testing. During those sixty years however, tragedy often befell the house, with Lady Ermesande dying giving birth to her only child, a bastard son whom she legitimized moments before her death. This bastard, Martyn, served as the Lord of Hayford for thirty five years before disaster struck the family again. Martyn, his eldest son Cedrik and his second born Harrold, were set upon by bandits during a hunt, with Harrold being the only of the three to escape with his life. As such, Harrold become the unlikely Lord of Hayford at the age of fifteen, and has served in the position for the last sixteen years. Since the loss of his fingers, Harrold has fought exclusively with an axe. As a young man, he had a personal axe forged for him. A long wooden hilt topped by an ornate steel head, it's distinctive feature being the slit through the edge of the blade, resembling the 'Mark of Martyn', borne by all true Hayfords. The axe was made the family's ancestral weapon and christened Remembrance, for Harrold's father and brother. All members of House Hayford are said to carry the Mark of Martyn, a disfigurement of the right eye passed on through the blood of Martyn Hayford to all of his descendants. Recent Events With tensions rising after the death of Daenerys Targaryen in 367 AL, Harrold Hayford paid close attention to the dealings of the realm. When news reached Hayford of the Grand Council that was to be held at Harrenhal, House Hayford was left with a decision to make: Support the trueborn daughter, Alysanne, or the legitimized bastard son, Valarr. Luckily, this decision was bypassed when word reached the castle that the two were to wed and rule over the Seven Kingdoms jointly. However, news of the quarrel that broke out at Harrenhal also came, and it was clear that a major conflict was on the horizon, and the loyalties of House Hayford would once again be put to the test. When the banners of the Crownlands were called to the capital by the king, Harrold Hayford answered, bringing his meager force to the walls of Queen's Landing, surrounded by the tens of thousands of other men that had been called as well. With the disappearance of Queen Alysanne and the abdication of King Valarr, the tens of thousands of men camped at the capital chose their sides: Those loyal to the High Septon, and those loyal to Lyonel Baratheon, who had named himself king. While most had chosen their side, Harrold Hayford decided not to. The loyalties of House Hayford lied with the Targaryens alone, not with the Faith and certainly not with another Baratheon usurper. Lord Harrold only had one goal- find the queen and restore her to the throne before these two armies can rip the kingdoms apart any further. Members * Ermesande Hayford - Harrold's grandmother and Lady of Hayford (298-315). * Unknown lowborn - Harrold's grandfather. ** Martyn 'Waters' Hayford - Harrold's father, the legitimized son of Ermesande Hayford and Lord of Hayford (315-351). *** Cedrik Hayford - Harrold's brother and firstborn son and heir of Martyn Hayford (332-351). *** Harrold Hayford - Second son of Martyn Hayford and current Lord of Hayford (b. 335). **** Denys Hayford - Harrold's firstborn son and heir to Hayford (b. 352). **** Rhaea Hayford - Harrold's second child and first daughter (b. 353). **** Maekar Hayford - Harrold's third child and second son (b. 355). *** Harry Hayford - Harrold's half-brother and twin of Hugh (b. 344). *** Hugh Hayford - Harrold's half-brother and twin of Harry (b. 344). Household * Dalton Hogg - Son of Lord Hogg of Sow's Horn. Personal squire to Lord Harrold Hayford. * Erric - Sworn Sword, Captain of the Guard and closest friend of Lord Harrold Hayford. Sworn Houses * House Hogg of Sow's Horn Category:Houses from the Crownlands Category:House Hayford